Psychology

The human mind is a marvelous contraption. At birth, a baby cannot hold its head upright
or control her bowels and bladder. Three or four years later, this child will speak
in complete sentences, play video games, and retell her favorite movie. How can a
person learn so much in so little time?

Most people know that psychologists study and treat mental illness but there is much
more to the field than that. Psychologists study almost every aspect of the human
experience from prenatal development to late adulthood. Psychologists want to understand
how children learn language, why adolescents alternate between rebellion and conformity,
and what causes some people to be color blind, have photographic memories, or be natural
leaders.

At Defiance College, psychology majors work with faculty who live out philosopher
Paul Valéry’s claim, “The purpose of psychology is to give us a completely different
idea of the things we know best.” Students learn how the brain and nervous system
allow people to see colors, make memories, and have emotions, and they learn how social
and cultural factors influence thought, feelings and behavior.

Psychology majors acquire an owner’s manual for the human mind and learn how to use
it to conduct research, analyze data, and test theories that will assist their future
enjoyment and success in the field.

Put that marvelous contraption to work. See where psychology can lead.

Majoring in Psychology

The psychology program at Defiance College is intended to give students a broad understanding
of human behavior. Small class size and frequent one-on-one faculty contact contribute
to the academic quality of the psychology program and the students’ future success
and enjoyment in the field.

Courses in psychology are intended to:

Contribute toward better personal and social adjustment by enhancing students’ understanding
of themselves and others

Prepare students for graduate study leading to careers in the field of psychology

Provide a basis for pre-professional study (as in pre-law, pre-medical, and related
careers)

Provide an understanding of psychological principles, theories, and techniques that
will result in more effective functioning in various vocational fields, such as business,
education, criminal justice, and social work

"My experience at Defiance College gave me an opportunity to make strong relationships
with the professors, staff, and other students in my major. My psychology major has
prepared me for Graduate School and can be applied in a variety of different fields
of study. I loved the small class sizes and how I was more than just a number on
a piece of paper." - Andrea Vorst

Unique Opportunities

Defiance College encourages students to participate in service learning. Advanced
psychology students have the opportunity to volunteer or work at local mental health
and human service agencies. An exciting component of the psychology program is the
opportunity to conduct a research study and present the results at the annual Honors
Symposium. Our students have conducted research on depression in college students,
how the number of siblings in a family influences family dynamics, and the effect
of sleep deprivation of academic performance.

After College — What’s Next?

According to the American Psychological Association, persons with a bachelor’s degree
in psychology have found employment in management, mental health casework, child care,
health services, human resources, gerontology, and probation and parole.

Recent Defiance College graduates in psychology are graduate students, caseworkers,
operation coordinators, and substance abuse counselors. The psychology major enables
each student to proceed in any one of a broad variety of career directions at the
bachelor’s degree level, while at the same time adequately preparing those who wish
to attend law, medical, or graduate school in the helping professions.